As news of his passing spread across the Internet, many people made sincere and moving tributes to Jay Bennett, the polarizing but astoundingly influential former member of Wilco who died unexpectedly on May 24, 2009.
In the search for our own fitting tribute to Jay Bennett, we decided to round up some of his best live performances from the Wilco Archive and let his talent speak for itself. We polled members of Wilco’s ViaChicago fan community, and they obliged with eloquence. Continue reading
Yesterday, we received a disturbing email from a Pitchfork Media staffer, detailing how senior management re-shaped his review of Wilco (The Album), which is set to be released on June 30, 2009.
The distressed staffer writes, “With high profile releases like this one, management will tell writers what an album’s rating will be. You have to write your review around the predetermined rating, which is partly why our reviews often contain weird metaphors and seem so hackneyed.”
He goes on to write that Pitchfork goons threatened to remove him from their staff—and office—if he didn’t comply with their wishes; he quotes one manager as saying “As you know, Pitchfork is so over Wilco, and the rest of the world should be too, whether it’s right or not. Actual merit is irrelevant. Look how much attention we got from our review of the Black Kids album. If you care about quality, you can go write somewhere else.”Â
According to the writer, here’s a breakdown of what should’ve been vs. what is. Continue reading
“Indie record stores,†says Chrys Hansen of Modern Music, the Caribbean’s most visited record store, “are where you go when you first realize there’s a whole new world of music for you to explore.†The Internet notwithstanding as perhaps one’s first stop when searching out what the world has to offer musically, Hansen’s words ring sentimental and otherwise true.
Independent record stores, unlike the CD sections of Wal-Mart and Best Buy, often feature carefully procured selections of good popular music and local and alternative groups that are either too vulgar or not Hoobastank-y enough for other outlets. The quality of independent record stores is only enhanced by the personal touch offered by the staff.
“Monday” from Wilco’s ‘Ashes of American Flags’ DVD, out 4/18.
As (implicitly) promised, here is a great exchange between Jeff Tweedy and Stephen Colbert, as well as the performance of their new limited edition Wilco song:
Video of “Wilco the Song” was removed by YouTube.